Bank scams targeting seniors on the rise, Suffolk officials warn
Late last month, a 79-year-old North Babylon resident was contacted over the phone by a man saying he was a bank official and claiming the person's account was compromised and their bank card must be destroyed and reissued.
On April 29, a man came to the home of the Long Islander to obtain their card. Later that same day, an unidentified woman using that card withdrew $4,500 from an ATM in Garden City.
Days later, a 58-year-old woman in East Patchogue received a text alert from what she thought was her bank that a bogus purchase had been flagged on her account, providing her with a number to call to dispute the charge. Shortly after a man posing as a bank employee stopped by her home to pick up the card and destroy it, another unidentified male withdrew $650 from an ATM in Bohemia.
The two incidents were highlighted by Suffolk County police and elected officials Friday as part of a campaign to warn local seniors of the dangers of scams and to affirm the county’s renewed focus on finding and prosecuting scammers.
"We have to create consequences. We have to go after people like this," said Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine at a news conference Friday afternoon in Hauppauge. "This is happening all too frequently."
Romaine said of particular concern in the two cases were how close the scammers physically got to the victims.
"They went to their homes," he said. "The concern is, when you go to someone’s home maybe they don’t stop with just a bank card."
Police officials said at the event that the two incidents are currently under investigation and ATM photos were taken of the suspects — one masked female and one masked male. Police asked the public to come forward with any information.
"It is an enormous problem and unfortunately, it’s only getting worse," Kristen McManus, senior associate state director for advocacy for AARP New York said of financial scams targeting seniors.
Scams targeting New Yorkers 60 and older resulted in more than $257 million in financial losses from more than 6,200 victims in 2024, according to a recently released FBI report. That’s up from $203 million stolen from 4,300 victims in the state in 2023.
AARP New York is currently pushing state officials to include new legislation that would require standardized training for bank tellers, financial advisers and investment brokers in the state to better recognize financial exploitation of the elderly, McManus said.
"Most of these individuals try to steal money virtually," Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said of the scammers. "But we have seen plenty of instances where they have shown up at people’s homes to either retrieve money, or in these cases, potentially bank cards that they could further exploit."
Catalina called the financial scams "particularly heinous" given how victims are often among the county’s elderly. "It targets the most vulnerable in our society."
Long Islanders who believe they may have information about potential scammers in the area are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.
Late last month, a 79-year-old North Babylon resident was contacted over the phone by a man saying he was a bank official and claiming the person's account was compromised and their bank card must be destroyed and reissued.
On April 29, a man came to the home of the Long Islander to obtain their card. Later that same day, an unidentified woman using that card withdrew $4,500 from an ATM in Garden City.
Days later, a 58-year-old woman in East Patchogue received a text alert from what she thought was her bank that a bogus purchase had been flagged on her account, providing her with a number to call to dispute the charge. Shortly after a man posing as a bank employee stopped by her home to pick up the card and destroy it, another unidentified male withdrew $650 from an ATM in Bohemia.
The two incidents were highlighted by Suffolk County police and elected officials Friday as part of a campaign to warn local seniors of the dangers of scams and to affirm the county’s renewed focus on finding and prosecuting scammers.
"We have to create consequences. We have to go after people like this," said Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine at a news conference Friday afternoon in Hauppauge. "This is happening all too frequently."
Romaine said of particular concern in the two cases were how close the scammers physically got to the victims.
"They went to their homes," he said. "The concern is, when you go to someone’s home maybe they don’t stop with just a bank card."
Police officials said at the event that the two incidents are currently under investigation and ATM photos were taken of the suspects — one masked female and one masked male. Police asked the public to come forward with any information.
"It is an enormous problem and unfortunately, it’s only getting worse," Kristen McManus, senior associate state director for advocacy for AARP New York said of financial scams targeting seniors.
Scams targeting New Yorkers 60 and older resulted in more than $257 million in financial losses from more than 6,200 victims in 2024, according to a recently released FBI report. That’s up from $203 million stolen from 4,300 victims in the state in 2023.
AARP New York is currently pushing state officials to include new legislation that would require standardized training for bank tellers, financial advisers and investment brokers in the state to better recognize financial exploitation of the elderly, McManus said.
"Most of these individuals try to steal money virtually," Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said of the scammers. "But we have seen plenty of instances where they have shown up at people’s homes to either retrieve money, or in these cases, potentially bank cards that they could further exploit."
Catalina called the financial scams "particularly heinous" given how victims are often among the county’s elderly. "It targets the most vulnerable in our society."
Long Islanders who believe they may have information about potential scammers in the area are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.
